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Resolution: Children and Video Game Developers
2006 Shareholder Resolution approved by the Advisory Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility (ACCSR)
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Resolution:
Children and Video Game Developers
WHEREAS:
A statement to Congress by the American Medical Association, the
American Academy of Pediatrics, and other organizations
expressed the consensus of the public health community with
respect to the impact of entertainment violence on children:
"Children exposed to violent programming at a young age have a
higher tendency for violent and aggressive behavior later in
life than children who are not so exposed." (Joint Statement
on the Impact of Entertainment Violence on Children,
Congressional Public Health Summit, July 2000);
"The overwhelming trend in the research to date indicates that
there are three major effects of exposure to violence in media:
increased aggression and violent behavior; the 'mean world'
syndrome, the concept that media inflates the prevalence of
violence in the world and makes kids afraid; and desensitization
towards violence." (Dr. Michael Rich, American Academy of
Pediatrics, presentation at Federal Trade Commission workshop on
Marketing Violent Entertainment to Children, October 2003);
“Comprehensive analysis of violent interactive video game
research suggests such exposure a) increases aggressive
behavior; b) increases aggressive thoughts; c) increases angry
feelings; d) decreases helpful behavior; and e) increases
physiological arousal” (American Psychological Association
Resolution on Violence in Video Games and Interactive Media,
2005)
The Entertainment Software Rating Board has developed a rating
system for video games that includes a rating symbol for
age-appropriateness (e.g., “AO” for adults only, “M” or “Mature”
for 17 and older, “T” or “Teen” for 13 and older), and content
descriptors that describe elements in a game;
Companies who do not comply with ESRB guidelines are subject to
a wide range of ESRB sanctions, including fines, corrective
actions and other penalties.
Shareholders have a financial interest in this issue. New York
City pension funds filed suit against video-game maker Take Two
Interactive, claiming they lost $3.2 million in share value due
to the backlash over the discovery of a hidden sequence in Take
Two's "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" game.
RESOLVED: Shareholders request that the Board of Directors
report to shareholders on the steps the company has taken to
ensure that children under 17 do not have access to Mature-rated
video games that are published by this company. This report
shall be available within six (6) months following the 2007
annual meeting, and will be developed at reasonable costs and
omit proprietary information.
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